JP2009018044A - Endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus capable of efficiently obtaining large curving operation force and improving curving operability without enlarging an actuator. <P>SOLUTION: A curving part 15 provided in the distal end side area of an insertion part is provided with an actuator tube 20. The actuator tube 20 has a structure provided with a tube body 23 to be expanded when receiving the supply of a high pressure gas and non-flexible fibers 24 embedded in the tube body 23 for regulating the extension in the longitudinal direction of the tube body 23. When the high pressure gas is supplied to the tube body 23, the tube body 23 is expanded to the outer peripheral side, the extension of the tube body 23 is regulated by the non-flexible fibers 24 at the time and the entire length in the longitudinal direction is shortened. The curving part 15 is curved by the shortening in the longitudinal direction of the tube body 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus including a bending portion that performs a bending operation on a distal end side region of an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target.

  As an endoscope apparatus used for industrial and medical purposes, a bending part that can be bent is provided on the distal end side of an insertion part that is inserted into a lumen or the like to be observed, and the bending part can be moved in an arbitrary direction by an external operation. In some cases, the direction of the distal end of the insertion portion can be freely changed by curving it.

  As the structure of the bending portion, a plurality of tube bodies that are expanded in the longitudinal direction upon receiving a supply of fluid are arranged in an annular shape, and the bending portion is arranged in an arbitrary direction by selectively supplying fluid to the plurality of tube bodies. A device that can be bent is known. In this bending portion, the tube body supplied with the fluid extends in the longitudinal direction, so that the entire tube body is curved and deformed so that the tube body forms a curved outer surface. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1.)

An endoscope apparatus provided with such a bending portion is an existing device that remotely operates the bending portion using a wire or the like because a plurality of tube bodies receive fluid supply and function directly as an actuator at the bending portion. Compared to the above, the bending operation can be reliably performed even when the insertion portion is elongated or bent. That is, in the case of an endoscopic device that remotely controls a bending portion using a wire or the like, if the insertion portion is elongated or bent, the sliding resistance of the wire or the like increases and the bending portion is operated. However, in the endoscope apparatus in which the actuator is directly arranged on the curved portion, there is no possibility that the sliding resistance increases, and thus the operability can be maintained satisfactorily.
JP 2007-61547 A

  However, in this conventional endoscope apparatus, the tube body that expands in the longitudinal direction is arranged in the bending portion, and the bending operation is performed by extending the tube body in the longitudinal direction. Is difficult to obtain efficiently, and in order to obtain the desired curvature, the tube body must be enlarged.

  Therefore, the present invention is intended to provide an endoscope apparatus that can obtain a large bending operation force efficiently and can improve the bending operability without increasing the size of an actuator.

  In the present invention that solves the above-described problem, a bending portion that can be bent is provided in a distal end region of an insertion portion that is inserted into an observation target, and the bending portion is operated by an actuator that is driven by fluid supply and discharge. In the endoscope apparatus, the actuator is disposed in the bending portion, and expands in response to the supply of fluid, and is embedded or attached to the tube body to extend the tube body in the longitudinal direction. And a non-extensible fiber to be regulated.

  In the case of this invention, when a fluid is supplied to the tube body, the tube body expands in the radial direction in a state in which the extension in the longitudinal direction is restricted by the non-extensible fibers, and the entire length in the longitudinal direction is equal to the amount of deflection accompanying the expansion. Is shortened. As a result, the entire bending portion is bent so that the tube body side to which the fluid is supplied has an inner diameter. At this time, the pressure applied by the fluid acts on the tube body as a force in the contraction direction at the bending portion, so that the force for the bending operation efficiently acts on the bending portion.

The tube body has one expansion space extending in a longitudinal direction, and the plurality of tube bodies are arranged in parallel along a circumferential direction in the bending portion, and the longitudinal direction of the plurality of tube bodies It is good also as a structure in which the restraint member which regulates expansion | swelling of the outer periphery of each tube body and restrains tube bodies is provided in a part of.
In this case, the tube bodies each having one expansion space are arranged in the circumferential direction of the bending portion, and the bending portion is bent by selectively supplying a fluid to an arbitrary tube body. And since the restraint member which restricts expansion of the perimeter of each tube body and restrains tube bodies is provided in a part of the longitudinal direction of a plurality of tube bodies, fluid is supplied to arbitrary tube bodies. In this case, the tube body is divided forward and backward by the restraining member and expands in the radial direction, and the variation in behavior of the plurality of tube bodies is restricted by the restraining member. As a result, the bending portion smoothly bends and deforms as desired.

The tube body has one expansion space extending in the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of tube bodies are arranged in parallel along the circumferential direction in the curved portion, and the longitudinal direction of each tube body It is good also as a structure by which the control member which controls expansion | swelling of the outer periphery of each tube body is provided in a part of.
In this case, the tube bodies each having one expansion space are arranged in the circumferential direction of the bending portion, and the bending portion is bent by selectively supplying a fluid to an arbitrary tube body. And since the regulation member is provided in the perimeter of a part of the longitudinal direction of each tube body, when fluid is supplied to a tube body, the longitudinal direction front-and-rear part of the tube body divided by the regulation member, respectively. It will expand in the radial direction. As a result, the bending portion smoothly bends and deforms as desired.

The tube body is provided with a plurality of expansion spaces extending in the longitudinal direction in parallel, and the entire tube body is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A part of the tube body in the longitudinal direction includes a radial direction of the expansion space. It is good also as a structure provided with the control member which controls expansion | swelling.
In this case, when fluid is selectively supplied to an arbitrary expansion space arranged in the peripheral region of the substantially tubular tube body, the expansion in the axial direction of the expansion space is restricted by the non-extensible fibers. The full length in the longitudinal direction of the expansion space contracts with the expansion in the radial direction of the expansion space to which the fluid is supplied. Thereby, the whole tube body which comprises a bending part curves by making the expansion space part to which the fluid was supplied into an internal diameter. At this time, the expansion in the radial direction of the expansion space supplied with the fluid is partially restricted by the restriction member, and the expansion space expands in the radial direction before and after the longitudinal direction across the restriction member. As a result, the bending portion smoothly bends and deforms as desired.

Further, the tube body may be composed of a plate-like structure body having a plurality of expansion spaces extending in the longitudinal direction, and the plate-like structure body may be bent into a substantially cylindrical shape.
In this case, a plate-like structure having a plurality of expansion spaces is formed in advance by extrusion molding or the like, and the plate-like structure is bent into a substantially cylindrical shape, whereby a tube body having a plurality of expansion spaces can be easily formed. It becomes possible to form.

The plate-like structure may have a configuration in which a plurality of expansion spaces extending in the longitudinal direction are formed in parallel by joining front and back sheets.
In this case, since the plate-like structures are formed by joining the front and back sheets, the plate-like structures can be efficiently manufactured in large quantities.

  Further, the present invention provides an endoscope apparatus in which a bending portion capable of bending operation is provided in a distal end side region of an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target, and the bending portion is operated by an actuator driven by supply / discharge of fluid. The guide tube for guiding the insertion into the observation target is attached to the outer periphery of the insertion portion, and the actuator is disposed at a portion of the guide tube that holds the curved portion, and is expanded by receiving a fluid supply. And a non-extensible fiber that is embedded in or attached to the tube body and regulates the elongation of the tube body in the longitudinal direction.

  In the case of this invention, when a fluid is supplied to the tube body, the tube body expands in the radial direction in a state in which the extension in the longitudinal direction is restricted by the non-extensible fibers, and the entire length in the longitudinal direction is equal to the amount of deflection accompanying the expansion. Is shortened. As a result, the guide tube is bent so that the portion of the tube body to which the fluid is supplied has an inner diameter, and the bending portion is bent accordingly. At this time, the pressure applied by the fluid acts as a force in the contraction direction on the tube body of the guide tube, so that the force for the bending operation efficiently acts on the bending portion.

  According to the present invention, an actuator is disposed around the curved portion or the curved portion, and the actuator includes a tube body and a non-extensible fiber that regulates elongation in the longitudinal direction of the tube body. By supplying fluid to the tube body and shortening the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the expansion space of the tube body, a large bending force on the bending portion can be obtained efficiently. Therefore, the bending operability of the bending portion can be improved without increasing the size of the actuator.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of each embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description will be omitted.

First, the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an overall schematic configuration of an endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the endoscope apparatus 1 includes a long insertion portion 10 to be inserted into an observation target such as a lumen, and a box shape that can be wound around the insertion portion 10 and accommodated. And a monitor 12 attached to the apparatus body 11 and capable of displaying captured images and data information.

  The insertion portion 10 has a flexible snake tube 14 whose base end side is detachably connected to the device main body portion 11 via the connector 13, and a control from the device main body portion 11 connected to the distal end side of the snake tube 14. Is provided with a bending portion 15 that can be bent in an arbitrary direction, and an imaging / illumination unit 16 connected to the distal end side of the bending portion 15. The imaging / illumination unit 16 includes a substantially cylindrical metal support block 17, a CCD 18 (charge coupled device) as an imaging means disposed at the front end of the support block 17, and a CCD 18 at the front end of the support block 17. LED 19 which is an illuminating means disposed adjacent to the LED.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the bending portion 15 mainly includes four actuator tubes 20 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and extends in the longitudinal direction of each actuator tube 20. A piping tube 22 on the side of the serpentine tube 14 is connected to the expansion space 21. Each piping tube 22 is connected to a gas supply / discharge device (not shown) on the apparatus main body 11 side through the inside of the snake tube 14. In this embodiment, four actuator tubes 20... Constitute an actuator for operating the bending portion 15.

  The actuator tube 20 has a structure in which a non-extensible fiber 24 that restricts elongation in the longitudinal direction of the tube body 23 is embedded in a base tube body 23 made of silicone rubber or the like. As the non-extensible fiber 24, for example, KEVLAR (registered trademark of Dupont), glass fiber or the like, which is an inelastic aramid fiber, is used. The actuator tube 20 has a substantially flat cross section and is sealed with a sealing member at the tip (see FIG. 3). When the gas (fluid) is supplied to the internal expansion space 21 through the piping tube 22, the actuator tube 20 having such a configuration expands in the radial direction and the bending due to the expansion shortens the overall length in the longitudinal direction. . That is, since the tube body 23 is regulated in the longitudinal direction by the non-stretched fibers 24, when the tube body 23 is pulled in the radial direction by expansion in the radial direction, the tube body 23 has a diameter without extending in the longitudinal direction. Bending in the direction, resulting in a reduction in the overall length in the longitudinal direction. Here, the example in which the non-extensible fibers 24 are embedded in the tube body 23 has been described. However, the non-extensible fibers 24 formed in a sheet shape with the fiber direction aligned may be bonded to the surface of the tube body 23. good.

Further, in the expansion space 21 of each actuator tube 20, a metal wire 80 is disposed as a reinforcing wire having high tensile strength in the longitudinal direction, and the non-extensible fibers 24 and the tube body 23 of the actuator tube 20 are excessively large. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the stress from acting. The metal wire 80 is disposed at the axial center portion of the actuator tube 20, the front end portion is fixed to the sealed end of the actuator tube 20, and the rear end portion is fixed to an appropriate position in the serpentine tube 14. Here, the example in which the metal wire 80 is disposed in the expansion space 21 of the actuator tube 20 has been described. However, the reinforcing wire such as the metal wire 80 is fixed to the outer surface of the actuator tube 20 or embedded therein. Anyway. Further, the reinforcing wire is not limited to the metal wire 80, and may be a resin wire having high tensile strength in the longitudinal direction.
In addition, in addition to exhibiting the function of an actuator, the non-extensible fiber also has a function of improving the tensile strength in the axial direction of the actuator.

The four actuator tubes 20 are held at a plurality of longitudinal locations (six locations in this example) by resin-made restraining rings 25 (restraining members). As shown in FIG. 5, each constraining ring 25 has four long hole-like holding holes 26 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the actuator tubes 20 are slidably fitted in the holding holes 26. In this structure, the distance between the restraining rings 25 can be changed by sliding. Thereby, it is possible to change the shape at the time of curvature. In other words, the wider the interval between the restraining rings 25, the easier it is to bend at a low pressure at the beginning. Therefore, when it is desired to bend from the tip, it is preferable to widen the tip.
In addition, when using the restraint ring 25 with equal intervals, it is good also as a structure fixed by adhesion | attachment etc. so that it may not slide.
The restraining ring 25 restrains the expansion of each actuator tube 20 in the outer circumferential direction by a part of the longitudinal direction and restrains the actuator tubes 20 so as to have a certain positional relationship in the circumferential direction. Further, in this embodiment, the holding holes 26 of each restraining ring 25 are formed into a long hole shape crushed in the radial direction of the restraining ring 25, and the long width direction of the flat actuator tube 20 is tangent to the restraining ring 25. It is set to point the direction. The holding hole 26 may be formed in an arc shape concentric with the restraining ring 25.

  A metal support coil 27 that is deformable in the axial direction and the bending direction is disposed inside the plurality of restraining rings 25 and the four actuator tubes 20 held by them. The support coil 27 is in the form of a close-contact coil and can follow the deformation in the bending direction of the actuator tubes 20... But has rigidity in the radial direction and restricts expansion deformation on the radially inner side of each actuator tube 20. It is supposed to be. In the inner circular space surrounded by the support coil 27, the CCD 18 connected to the imaging / illumination unit 16, the signal wiring 18a of the LED 19, and the power wiring 19a, 19b (see FIGS. 2 and 6) are inserted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, before and after the axial direction of the actuator unit 28 (see FIG. 3) in which the four actuator tubes 20 are arranged with the restraining rings 25 on the outside of the support coil 27 as described above. Each of the metal front cap 29 and the rear cap 30 is provided. A soft resin sheath 31 surrounding the outer periphery of the actuator unit 28 is fitted and supported at the rear edge of the front cap 29 and the front edge of the rear cap 30. Further, a protective metal knitting tube 32 is disposed outside the sheath 31, and the metal knitting tube 32 is fixed to the outer periphery of the front cap 29 and the rear cap 30 by tying and bonding.

  The front cap 29 is formed in an annular shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, and the signal wiring 18 a of the CCD 18 and the power wirings 19 a and 19 b of the LED 19 are inserted into the inner opening, and the front end portion is an imaging / illumination unit. 16 is connected. Further, the rear cap 30 is formed in an annular shape like the front cap 29, and the signal wiring 18a and the power wirings 19a and 19b are inserted into the inner opening, and the rear end portion as shown in FIGS. Is connected to the front cap 33 of the serpentine tube 14. Further, four holding holes 34 (see FIG. 5) are provided in the circumferential portion of the rear cap 30 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a connecting portion between the piping tube 22 and the actuator tube 20 is provided in each holding hole 34. Is retained.

  In the above configuration, when the bending portion 15 of the endoscope apparatus 1 is bent, a high pressure gas is selectively supplied to an arbitrary actuator tube 20 from a gas supply / discharge device (not shown) by an operation on the apparatus body 11 side. Supply. Thus, when high pressure gas is supplied to any actuator tube 20, the expansion space 21 of the actuator tube 20 expands radially outward in the entire region except the holding position by the restraining ring 25, as shown in FIG. 7. In the actuator tube 20, since the extension of the tube body 23 in the longitudinal direction is regulated by the non-extensible fibers 24, the entire length of the tube body 23 is shortened by the bending accompanying the bulging of the tube body 23 in the radial direction. As a result, the actuator tube 20 supplied with the high-pressure gas is compressed in the longitudinal direction in a part of the bending portion 15, and the entire bending portion 15 is bent in an arc shape with the actuator tube 20 as the inner diameter side. At this time, the support coil 27 is bent while a gap on the side opposite to the contracting actuator tube 20 is widened. At this time, the actuator tube 20 to which the high-pressure gas is supplied tries to expand in the same manner in the entire circumferential direction. However, since the support coil 27 is disposed on the radially inner side of the bending portion 15, the bending portion 15. The bulging inward in the radial direction is limited by the support coil 27. Therefore, the signal wiring 18 a and the power wirings 19 a and 19 b inside the bending portion 15 are not compressed by the actuator tube 20.

  Further, when the high-pressure gas is supplied to the actuator tube 20, the expansion of the actuator tube 20 in the longitudinal direction is partially restricted by the holding holes 26 of the restraining ring 25. It expand | swells by being divided | segmented at a small space | interval in the longitudinal direction. For this reason, the actuator tube 20 comes to generate | occur | produce a bending force equally in the substantially whole area of a longitudinal direction.

  In this way, when the bending portion 15 is bent and the bent state is restored, the high-pressure gas in the actuator tube 20 is discharged to the outside through the piping tube 22. Thus, when the high-pressure gas in the actuator tube 20 is discharged, the elastic return function of the support coil 27 acts, thereby returning the bending portion 15 to the initial state.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 can bend the bending portion 15 in an arbitrary direction by selectively supplying the high-pressure gas to the actuator tubes 20 arranged directly on the bending portion 15 as described above. As long as the axial length of the insertion portion 10 is increased or the insertion portion 15 is rolled up and used, it is only necessary to supply and discharge gas to and from the actuator tube 20 through the piping tube 22. The bending operation of the bending portion 15 can always be performed stably.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 includes a tube body 23 in which the actuator tube 20 receives a high-pressure gas and expands, and a non-extensible fiber 24 that is embedded in the tube body 23 and regulates elongation in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, by supplying a high-pressure gas to the actuator tube 20, a force that compresses and contracts the actuator tube 20 in the longitudinal direction can be applied, whereby the bending portion 15 can be efficiently bent. That is, the pressurizing force by the high pressure gas acts as a force for pressing and contracting the actuator tube 20 in the longitudinal direction, so that the force for the bending operation works efficiently on the bending portion 15 and a large bending force can be obtained.

Therefore, in this endoscope apparatus 1, a sufficiently large bending force can be obtained without increasing the cross-sectional area of the expansion space 21 of the actuator tube 20, so that the entire insertion portion 10 including the bending portion 15 can be obtained. The diameter can be easily reduced.
In particular, in the endoscope apparatus 1 of this embodiment, each actuator tube 20 has a flat structure, which is advantageous in reducing the diameter of the bending portion 15.

  Furthermore, in this endoscope apparatus 1, a plurality of actuator tubes 20 are fitted into the holding holes 26 of the restraining ring 25 at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction, and an even bending force is applied to almost the entire region in the longitudinal direction of the actuator tubes 20. Since this occurs, this is also advantageous in efficiently bending the bending portion 15. In addition, what is necessary is just to change suitably the installation space | interval of the restraint ring 25 in the longitudinal direction of actuator tube 20 ..., when changing the bending diameter of the bending part 15 partially.

  Further, in the case of this endoscope apparatus 1, the plurality of actuator tubes 20... Are fitted into the holding holes 26 of the restraining ring 25 so that the mutual positional relationship in the circumferential direction is maintained constant. The variation of the behavior of 20 can be suppressed, and the operation of the bending portion 15 can be further stabilized.

Moreover, in this endoscope apparatus 1, since the metal wire 80 is disposed as a reinforcing wire inside each actuator tube 20, the bending portion 15 is pulled or bent by a large force for some reason. In addition, it is possible to prevent an excessive stress from acting on the non-extensible fibers 24 and the tube body 23 due to the stopper function of the metal wire 80 acting. Therefore, the non-extensible fiber 24 and the tube body 23 can be reliably protected.
In this embodiment, the support coil 27 is a close-contact coil, but it may be a coil with a slight gap. However, when the actuator tube 20 expands, it is set so as not to be caught in the gap. By doing so, the actuator tube 20 is bent when the gap that is slightly vacant at the time of contraction is eliminated and the gap between the coil on the opposite side of the actuator tube 20 to be driven is widened. Become.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
The basic configuration of the endoscope apparatus of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but in the first embodiment, a metal that is a reinforcing wire inside each actuator tube 20. The wire 80 is provided, whereas the endoscope apparatus according to this embodiment is different in that a metal wire 80A is provided inside the support coil 27.

  The front end portion of the metal wire 80A is fixed to the inner surface of the front cap 29 via the connection piece 82, and the rear end portion of the metal wire 80A is fixed to the metal stopper ring 81 via the connection piece 83. The stopper ring 81 is formed to have substantially the same outer diameter as that of the rear cap 30, and is disposed in a free state (being movable forward and backward) on the rear side of the rear cap 30. The stopper ring 81 is separated from the rear base 30 when the bending portion 15 is normally operated to bend, but when the bending portion 15 is pulled or bent by an excessive force for some reason, Under the tension acting on the metal wire 80A, it comes into contact with the rear end surface of the rear cap 30 and functions as a stopper for restricting excessive stress in the longitudinal direction from acting on the bending portion 15 together with the metal wire 80A.

  This endoscope apparatus can basically obtain the same operations and effects as those of the first embodiment described above, but a metal wire 80A as a reinforcing wire is disposed inside the support coil 27. Therefore, it is easier to manufacture than the first embodiment in which the metal wire 80 is disposed inside each actuator tube 20, and there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, during the normal bending operation of the bending portion 15, the stopper ring 81 is separated from the rear cap 30, and resistance due to bending of the metal wire 80 </ b> A hardly acts, so that the bending operability during normal use is further improved. Can be improved. Furthermore, in this endoscope apparatus, since the force acting on the metal wire 80A can be reliably received by the bases 29 and 30 before and after the bending portion 15, a more reliable stopper function can be obtained, This is also advantageous in terms of strength.

FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
In the endoscope apparatus according to the third embodiment, a plurality of actuator tubes 120 made of the tube body 23 and the non-extensible fibers 24 are arranged at equal intervals in the peripheral area of the bending portion 15. Of the actuator tubes 120 are held by the restraining ring 25 at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction, and the support coils 27 are disposed inside the actuator tubes 120 and the restraining rings 25. Although it is the same as that of 1st, 2nd embodiment, the cross section of each actuator tube 120 is formed in circular shape, and the some control ring 38 (which regulates expansion | swelling of an outer peripheral direction on each actuator tube 120 ( A plurality of metal wires 80B (reinforcing wire rods) that restrict the application of excessive stress along the longitudinal direction to the curved portion 15; That are provided through the constraining ring 25 ... it is different.

The restriction ring 38 is formed in an annular shape with resin or the like, and is arranged at a position that is not held by the restraining ring 25 on each actuator tube 120.
Further, the metal wire 80B, which is a reinforcing wire, penetrates between the holding positions of the actuator tubes 120 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the respective restraining rings 25, and the ends of the metal wires 80B are on the front end side and the rear end side. Are respectively coupled to the restraining rings 25.

This endoscope apparatus can basically obtain the same operations and effects as those of the first and second embodiments described above, but the actuator tube 120 has a circular cross section. Further, since the regulating rings 38 are individually fitted to the actuator tubes 120 between the adjacent regulating rings 38, 38, the high pressure gas is supplied to the actuator tubes 120. The expanded portion can be subdivided in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, a smoother bending of the bending portion 15 can be obtained.
Further, the amount of deformation of the actuator can be increased by subdividing, and a larger bending angle can be obtained.

  Further, in this endoscope apparatus, a plurality of metal wires 80B, which are reinforcing wires, are provided so as to penetrate through the restraining rings 25, so that they act excessively on the actuator tubes 120 in the peripheral area of the bending portion 15. Stress can be regulated in a well-balanced manner.

10 and 11 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
The endoscope apparatus of the fourth embodiment has substantially the same basic function as that of the first embodiment, but a plurality of expansion spaces 221... Extending in the longitudinal direction are circularly connected to the substantially cylindrical actuator tube 220. A support coil 27 is provided in parallel along the circumferential direction, and inside the actuator tube 220, restricts expansion of the curved portions 15 of the respective expansion spaces 221.
Note that the support coil 27 has a structure that is easily bent by being a coarsely wound coil having a slight gap so that it is not sandwiched when the actuator tube 20 expands inward.

  In the actuator tube 220, a base tube body 223 made of silicone rubber or the like is formed in a cylindrical shape, and four expansion spaces 221 having a substantially arc-shaped cross section extending in the longitudinal direction are formed in the tube body 223 along the circumference. Non-stretchable fibers 24 are embedded in the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 223 to restrict the elongation of the tube body 223 in the longitudinal direction. The actuator tube body 220 can be formed, for example, by co-extrusion of the non-extensible fibers 24 when the tube body 223 is extruded. However, while the cylindrical tube body 223 is extruded, the non-extensible fibers 24 are formed. It may be formed in a sheet shape and a sheet of non-extensible fibers 24 may be bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 223. Further, a metal wire 80C (reinforced wire rod) that restricts excessive stress from acting in the longitudinal direction of the actuator tube 220 between the expansion spaces 221 and 221 adjacent in the circumferential direction in the actuator tube 220. Is buried.

  Further, a plurality of resin-made restraining rings 40 are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical actuator tube 220 configured as described above so as to be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The restraining ring 40 is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the actuator tube 220, thereby restricting expansion of the four expansion spaces 221.

  In the case of this endoscope apparatus, when high pressure gas is supplied to an arbitrary expansion space 221 of the cylindrical actuator tube 220, as shown in FIG. 11, the expansion space 221 supplied with the high pressure gas is moved to the outer peripheral side. Inflate. Also in this case, since the tube body 223 of the actuator tube 220 is regulated to be elongated in the longitudinal direction by the non-extensible fibers 24, when the peripheral wall of the expansion space 221 expands radially outward, the expansion space is caused by the bending accompanying the expansion. The total length in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 221 is shortened. As a result, the entire length of the actuator tube 220 in the longitudinal direction is bent with the expansion space 221 supplied with the high-pressure gas as the inner diameter side, and as a result, the bending portion 15 is bent.

  In addition, when an arbitrary expansion space 221 is expanded by the supply of high-pressure gas, the expansion space 221 is spaced at small intervals in the longitudinal direction by a plurality of restraining rings 40 that are fitted to the actuator tube 220 so as to be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. It is partitioned and expands. Therefore, the bending portion 15 is operated to bend substantially uniformly throughout the entire length.

  Also in the case of the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, although the shape of the actuator tube 220 is different, a large bending force can be reliably obtained by the actuator tube 220 arranged directly on the bending portion 15 as in the other embodiments described above. it can. Therefore, it is possible to cope with the lengthening of the insertion portion and the use in a state where the insertion portion is rolled, and the diameter of the entire insertion portion can be easily reduced.

  Further, in this endoscope apparatus, since the actuator tube 220 having a plurality of expansion spaces 221... Is formed as an integral block by extrusion molding or the like, the actuator tube 220 can be easily attached and detached and the like. Since mass production of the tube 220 is easy, there is also an advantage that the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment obtained by further improving the fourth embodiment.
In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, the configuration of the actuator tube 220 is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, but the structure of the regulating member that regulates the expansion of each expansion space of the actuator tube 220 is different.

That is, in this fifth embodiment, a plurality of restraining rings are not fitted to the outer periphery of the actuator tube 220, but a non-stretchable substantially cylindrical cover member 46 having a plurality of expansion allowance windows 45. Is attached to the entire outer periphery of the actuator tube 220. The cover member 46 includes a plurality of ring walls 48 that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and a narrow connection wall 49 that connects adjacent ring walls 48, 48. An expansion allowing window 45 is formed between 48 and connecting walls 49, 49. In this cover member 46, the expansion on the outer peripheral side of the expansion space of the actuator tube 220 is restricted by the ring wall 48, and the expansion on the outer peripheral side of the expansion space is permitted in the expansion allowable window 45. Although the connection wall 49 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the bending portion 15, the connection wall 49 is formed so as to have a narrow width and low bending rigidity, and therefore does not hinder the bending deformation of the actuator tube 220. .
Further, since the connection wall 29 is disposed between the adjacent expansion spaces of the actuator tube 220, it does not prevent the expansion space from expanding in the radial direction.

  The endoscope apparatus of this embodiment can basically obtain the same basic functions and effects as those of the fourth embodiment, but the expansion of the actuator tube 220 is restricted by the cover member 46 having an integral structure. Therefore, compared with the fourth embodiment, the number of parts is small and the assemblability is good, which is advantageous in reducing the product cost.

FIG. 13 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, the configuration of the actuator tube 220 is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, and a plurality of resin-made restraining rings 40 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of the actuator tube 220. Are attached, except that a metal wire 80D, which is a reinforcing wire, is provided through the restraining ring 40. The metal wire 80D is fixed to the restraining ring 40 at the front end portion and the rear end portion, respectively.

  In the case of this endoscope apparatus, the plurality of restraining rings 40 are connected by the metal wires 80D and are substantially the same as the cover member having an integral structure. In addition, excessive stress in the longitudinal direction acting on the actuator tube 220 can be reliably regulated by the metal wires 80D.

14 and 15 show a seventh embodiment of the present invention.
In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, as in the fourth to sixth embodiments, a plurality of expansion spaces 421... Extending in the longitudinal direction are arranged in parallel along the circumferential direction of the substantially cylindrical actuator tube 420. The support coil 27 that restricts the expansion of the curved portions 15 of the respective expansion spaces 421... In the radial direction is disposed inside the actuator tube 420, and in the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral side of the actuator tube 420. A plurality of restraining rings 40 are attached at a distance. The bending portion 15 of this device operates in the same manner as in the fourth to sixth embodiments, but is slightly different in terms of the structure of the actuator tube 420 and the manufacturing method thereof.

That is, as shown in FIG. 15, the actuator tube 420 includes a rectangular plate-like structure 420A in which a plurality of expansion spaces 421... Extending in the longitudinal direction are provided in parallel. It has a structure in which it is curved in a cylindrical shape in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the expansion spaces 421 (see arrows in FIG. 15), and ends in the bending direction are bonded and fixed. In addition, although one surface side (lower surface side in FIG. 15) of the plate-like structure 420A is formed flat, on the other surface side (upper surface side in FIG. 15), the central region in the width direction of each expansion space 421 expands in an arc shape. It is formed in a corrugated shape so as to come out. The other side formed in this waveform is arranged on the outer peripheral side when the plate-like structure 420A is rolled into a cylindrical shape. When the plate-like structure 420A is rolled into a cylindrical shape and the ends are bonded to each other, the corrugated surface on the outer peripheral side is stretched flat due to the difference in the peripheral length between the inner and outer surfaces.
In the plate-like structure 420A, a base material portion including a plurality of expansion spaces 421 is formed of silicone rubber or the like, and a sheet of non-extensible fibers 24 is bonded and fixed to the corrugated surface side of the base material. It has a structure. Since the plate-like structure 420 basically has a constant cross section in the longitudinal direction, it can be easily formed by, for example, extrusion molding or mold forming.

  In the case of this embodiment, since the actuator tube 420 is formed by the plate-like structure 420A, it is easy to form a base material portion of the plate-like structure 420A by extrusion or molding, and appropriately cut the shaped one. Can be formed. In particular, the base material portion of the plate-like structure 420A has a constant cross-section in both the width direction and the longitudinal direction, so that it is efficiently produced by shaping it as a large plate-like structure and then cutting it into a plurality of pieces. can do.

16 and 17 show an eighth embodiment of the present invention.
In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, an actuator tube 520 is formed by rounding a plate-like structure 520A (see FIG. 17) into a cylindrical shape as in the seventh embodiment. A support coil 527 for restricting expansion on the outer peripheral side of the expansion space 521... Is mounted on the outer periphery of the actuator tube 520, and a plurality of restraining rings 540 are arranged on the inner peripheral side of the actuator tube 520 in the longitudinal direction. It is very different.

  In the bending portion 15 of the endoscope apparatus, when high-pressure gas is supplied to an arbitrary expansion space 521 of the actuator tube 520, as shown in FIG. 16, the expansion space 521 is adjacent between the constraining rings 540 and 540. Since the expansion in the radial direction is restricted, and the displacement in the longitudinal direction is restricted by the non-extensible fiber at this time, the periphery of the expansion space 521 is shortened in the longitudinal direction and the entire bending portion 15 is curved. In the case of this embodiment, since the support coil 527 is mounted on the outer peripheral side of the actuator tube 520, the expansion to the outer peripheral side of the expansion space 521 is restricted by the support coil 527.

  In addition, the actuator tube 520 is formed by a plate-like structure 520A shown in FIG. 17, but on the surface on the inner side when the plate-like structure 520A is rolled, the actuator tube 520 has a width direction (of the expansion space 521). A plurality of metal support plates 540 </ b> A extending along the direction orthogonal to the extending direction are attached to be separated in the longitudinal direction. Each of the support plates 540A has an annular shape when the plate-like structure 520A is rolled into a cylindrical shape, and functions as a restraining ring 540 that partially restricts expansion on the inner peripheral side of the expansion space 521. .

  In addition, the actuator tube 520 extends in the longitudinal direction between the expansion spaces 521 and 521 where the plurality of metal wires 80E are adjacent to the outer surface when the plate-like structure 520A is rolled. It is buried in.

  In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, although the expansion space 521 of the actuator tube 520 bulges toward the inner peripheral side when the bending portion 15 is operated, as in the other embodiments in which the expansion space bulges to the outer peripheral side, A large bending force for the bending portion 15 can be obtained efficiently.

  In the case of this embodiment, the support plate 540A ... is attached in advance to the plate-like structure 520A for forming the actuator tube 520, and the support plate 540A ... is simultaneously attached when the plate-like structure 520A is rolled into a cylindrical shape. By rounding, the restraining rings 540... Can be arranged at predetermined positions inside the actuator tube 520, so that there is no need for complicated assembly work, and the product cost can be further reduced accordingly.

18 and 19 show a ninth embodiment of the present invention.
As in the seventh and eighth embodiments, the endoscope apparatus according to this embodiment is obtained by rounding a plate-like structure 620A (see FIG. 19) into a cylindrical shape and bonding the ends to each other. Although a cylindrical actuator tube 620 is formed, the structure and manufacturing method of the plate-like structure 620A are slightly different from those of the seventh and eighth embodiments.

  In other words, as shown in FIG. 19, the plate-like structure 620A of this embodiment includes a plurality of supply / discharge guide tubes 51... Arranged in parallel, in that state, the peripheral portions of both sheets 50 and 50 and a plurality of locations in the inner region are bonded by thermal welding. The welded portions in the inner regions of the two sheets 50, 50 are longitudinal welded portions 52a that are welded in the longitudinal direction (extending direction of the supply / discharge guide tube 51) at an intermediate position between the adjacent supply / discharge guide tubes 51, 51; It consists of a plurality of lateral welds 52b that are intermittently welded in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal welds 52a, and the lateral welds 52b are arranged at set intervals in the longitudinal direction of the sheets 50 and 50. . An expansion space 621... That is continuous in the longitudinal direction is partitioned between the sheets 50 and 50 by the longitudinal welded portion 52a, and an expansion regulating portion 53 (see FIG. 18) is configured by the lateral welded portion 52b. Yes. A plurality of supply / discharge holes (not shown) are formed on the outer periphery of each supply / discharge guide tube 51, and high-pressure gas is supplied to and discharged from the expansion space 621 through the supply / discharge holes.

  And the sheet | seat of the non-extensible fiber 24 is adhere | attached and fixed to the at least one surface of the sheet | seats 50 and 50 of the front and back welded in this way. At this time, the fiber direction of the non-extensible fibers 24 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the sheet 50.

  The actuator tube 620 formed by rounding the plate-like structure 620A into a cylindrical shape causes the expansion space 621 to expand in the radial direction when a high-pressure gas is supplied to an arbitrary expansion space 621 defined by the vertical welding portion 52a. At this time, the length of the expansion space 621 in the longitudinal direction is shortened by the function of the non-extensible fiber 24, and as a result, the bending portion 15 is bent. At this time, since the expansion on the outer peripheral side of the actuator tube 620 is restricted at a small interval by the plurality of expansion restricting portions 53 formed of the lateral welded portions 52b, the actuator tube 620 is bent evenly in almost the entire region in the longitudinal direction. Generate power. Further, in the case of this embodiment, since the support coil 27 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the actuator tube 620, the expansion space 621 expands exclusively outward in the radial direction. Therefore, in this example, the non-extensible fibers 24 may be disposed only on the outer surface side of the actuator tube 620. The support coil 27 can also be disposed on the outer peripheral side of the actuator tube 620.

  The plate-like structure 620A employed in this embodiment is formed by sandwiching the supply / discharge guide tube 51 between two sheets 50, 50 and welding the peripheral portion and a predetermined position inside in this state. Therefore, manufacture can be performed easily and efficiently. Therefore, it is advantageous in mass-producing the plate-like structure 620A, and the product cost can be further reduced.

  In the above description, both sheets 50, 50 are welded with the supply / discharge guide tubes 51 sandwiched between the two sheets 50, 50. However, the supply / discharge guide tubes 51 are not necessarily required, and are formed by welding. It is only necessary that the high-pressure gas can be reliably supplied to and discharged from each expanded space 621.

In the ninth embodiment described here, the support coil 27 that restricts the expansion displacement on the inner peripheral side of the expansion space 621 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the actuator tube 620. , And can be omitted as in the tenth embodiment shown in FIG.
In the case of the tenth embodiment, non-stretchable fibers (not shown) are bonded to both the inner and outer peripheral surfaces (front and back surfaces of the plate-like structure) of the actuator tube 720. In this structure, when high-pressure gas is supplied to an arbitrary expansion space 721 of the actuator tube 720, as shown in FIG. 21, the expansion space 721 bulges on both the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side, so that the expansion space 721 portion is expanded. The length in the longitudinal direction is shortened, whereby the entire bending portion 15 is curved.

Subsequently, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 22 to 27 will be described.
In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, a guide tube 60 that guides insertion into an observation target is attached to the distal end region of the insertion portion 10. The guide tube 60 is configured such that a portion that holds the outer periphery of the bending portion 15 is operated by supplying and discharging high-pressure gas. However, the guide tube 60 of this embodiment can be bent only in two opposite directions.

  The guide tube 60 includes a flexible cylindrical outer tube 61, a substantially cylindrical metal holder 62 fitted and fixed to the base side of the outer tube 61, and a holder 62 in the outer tube 61. A pair of plate springs 63, 63 that are cantilevered, and a flat actuator tube 64 (actuator) that is bonded and fixed along the longitudinal direction to the distal end side region of each plate spring 63 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 23, the actuator tube 64 has a structure in which a non-extensible fiber 24 that restricts the elongation in the longitudinal direction of the tube body 23 is embedded in a base tube body 23 made of silicone rubber or the like. An expansion space 65 (see FIG. 26) extending in the longitudinal direction is formed inside. In the actuator tube 64 having such a configuration, the longitudinal extension of the tube body 23 is restricted by the non-stretchable fiber 24. Therefore, when high-pressure gas (fluid) is supplied to the internal expansion space 65, the actuator tube 64 is radially expanded. Swelling and the deflection associated with the swelling shorten the overall length in the longitudinal direction. However, since the flat surface of the actuator tube 64 is bonded to the side surface of the leaf spring 63 and the change in length in the longitudinal direction is restricted, only the surface without the leaf spring 63 expands. Shorten the overall length in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, at this time, the leaf spring 63 receives a force in the bending direction from the actuator tube 64 and is bent and deformed as shown in FIG.
In the case of the tube body 23 as well, the non-stretchable fibers 24 are not limited to being embedded, and may be bonded and fixed to the surface of the tube body 23.

  The expansion space 65 of each actuator tube 64 is connected to a gas supply / exhaust device (not shown) through a connection tube 66 and a piping tube 67. And each actuator tube 64 is arrange | positioned in the space part pinched | interposed into the internal peripheral surface of the outer tube 61, and the leaf | plate spring 63, and can transmit the own external shape change accompanying expansion to the outer tube 61 now. Further, a distal end region of the insertion portion 10 including the bending portion 15 is arranged in the space portion on the axial center side between the leaf springs 63 and 63 in the outer tube 61.

  24 and 26, the holder 62 is formed with a pair of holding grooves 68 and 68 for fitting and holding the leaf spring 63 on the outer peripheral surface on the front side, and pulls out the connection tube 66 to the outside. A through hole 69 is formed for this purpose. Further, the base portion of the holder 62 is fitted and fixed to a substantially cylindrical connection base 70 shown in FIGS. 22 and 25, and the periphery of the insertion portion 10 is sandwiched between the connection base 70 in an inserted state. The side connection tube 66 and the external piping tube 67 are connected to each other. Specifically, an opening 71 into which the insertion portion 10 is inserted is formed in the axial center portion of the connection base 70, and a holding cylinder 72 made of a cylindrical rubber member is formed on the inner edge of the rear side of the opening 71. A cylindrical fixing screw 73 is attached, and the holding cylinder 72 is bulged to the inner peripheral side by tightening the fixing screw 73, thereby holding the outer periphery of the insertion portion 10 in an airtight state. In addition, a pair of gas supply / discharge holes 74 are formed in the connection base 70, and a connection plug 75 on the connection tube 66 side and a connection plug 76 on the piping tube 67 side are attached to the front and rear of each gas supply / discharge hole 74. It is like that. In FIG. 25, reference numeral 77 denotes a seal member interposed between the connection tube 66 and the connection plug 75.

  In the above configuration, when the bending portion 15 of the endoscope apparatus is bent, high pressure gas is supplied to one of the actuator tubes 64 in the guide tube 60 according to the bending direction. Here, in FIG. 26, the actuator tube 64 on the side where the high-pressure gas is introduced is referred to as “upper actuator tube 64”, and the actuator tube 64 on the side where the high-pressure gas is not introduced is referred to as “lower actuator tube 64”. At this time, as shown in the figure, the upper actuator tube 64 expands in the radial direction, and the leaf spring 63 (hereinafter referred to as the “upper leaf spring 63”) is bonded to the tube 64 as described above. Is bent so that the tip faces upward. At this time, when the upper actuator tube 64 expands and the upper leaf spring 63 curves upward, the outer tube 61 follows and bends and deforms, and the outer tube 61 further moves to the lower actuator tube 64 and to it. The bonded leaf spring 63 (hereinafter referred to as “lower leaf spring 63”) is bent in the same direction. As a result, the lower leaf spring 63 pushes the imaging / illumination unit 16 and the distal end side of the bending portion 15 upward, and the bending portion 15 is bent so as to follow the guide tube 60.

  Further, when the bending portion 15 is bent by the guide tube 60 and then the bending state is restored, the high-pressure gas in the upper actuator tube 64 is discharged to the outside. Thus, when the high-pressure gas in the upper actuator tube 60 is discharged, the elastic return function of the upper and lower leaf springs 63 and 63 acts, thereby returning the bending portion 15 to the initial state.

  In this endoscope apparatus, as described above, a plurality of actuator tubes 64, 64 are arranged in a portion surrounding the periphery of the bending portion 15 of the guide tube 60, and high pressure gas is selectively supplied to the actuator tubes 64, 64. As a result, the bending portion 15 can be bent in an arbitrary direction, so that the bending operation is stable even when the axial length of the insertion portion 10 is increased or when the insertion portion 10 is rolled up. Can be done automatically.

  The actuator tube 64 is configured to include a tube body 23 that expands upon receiving high-pressure gas, and a non-extensible fiber 24 that is embedded in the tube body 23 and restricts elongation in the longitudinal direction. This pressure acts to compress and contract the tube body 23 in the longitudinal direction, and the guide tube 60 and the bending portion 15 can be bent efficiently.

28 to 30 show a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.
In the endoscope apparatus according to this embodiment, a guide tube 160 is attached to the distal end side region of the insertion portion 10 as in the eleventh embodiment, and a portion corresponding to the curved portion 15 on the guide tube 160 is disposed at a high pressure gas. However, the structure of the guide tube 160 is different from that of the eleventh embodiment.

  The guide tube 160 includes an outer tube 80 made of a flexible, non-stretchable material, an actuator tube 81 (actuator) attached to the inner surface of the outer tube 80, and a front end portion of the outer tube 80 and the actuator tube 81. A front base 82 that is attached and seals between the tubes 80 and 81 and the imaging / illumination unit 16, and is attached to a rear end portion of both the tubes 80 and 81 and between the tubes 80 and 81 and the insertion portion 10. An annular space between the insertion tube 10 and the actuator tube 81, which is sealed with the caps 82 and 83 at the front and rear, is an expansion space 84 through which high-pressure gas is supplied and discharged. .

  The outer tube 80 is formed with two expansion permissible windows 85, 85 arranged in series in the longitudinal direction at a portion surrounding the outside of the curved portion 15. Each expansion allowance window 85 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape which is long in the axial direction, and allows the actuator tube 81 to bulge radially outward when high pressure gas is supplied to the expansion space 84.

  In addition, the actuator tube 81 has a structure in which non-extensible fibers that restrict elongation in the longitudinal direction of the tube body are embedded in a base tube body made of silicone rubber or the like. Therefore, when high-pressure gas is supplied to the expansion space 84 and the actuator tube 81 bulges in the expansion allowable window 85, the total length of the actuator tube 81 whose longitudinal extension is restricted by the non-extensible fibers is shortened. As a result, the guide tube 160 is bent as shown in FIG. The bending portion 15 on the insertion portion 10 side is bent together with the guide tube 160 at this time.

  Also in the case of this endoscope apparatus, by arranging the actuator tube 81 in the guide tube 160 and supplying high-pressure gas into the actuator tube 81, the inner bending portion 15 can be bent together with the guide tube 160. Therefore, even when the axial length of the insertion portion 10 is increased or when the insertion portion 10 is rolled and used, the bending operation can be performed stably, and the non-extensible fiber of the actuator tube 81 can be obtained. With this function, a large bending operation force can be obtained efficiently.

FIG. 31 shows a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.
In the endoscope apparatus of this embodiment, a guide tube 260 capable of bending operation is attached to the distal end side region of the insertion portion 10, but an actuator tube 90 that is bent by high-pressure gas supply / discharge. Is integrated at an eccentric position inside the outer tube 91. Specifically, a tube body 93 constituting a columnar expansion space 92 is integrally formed at a position eccentric with respect to the inner axial center of the outer tube 91, and the tube body 93 is formed in the peripheral area of the expansion space 92. The non-extensible fiber 24 which controls expansion | extension of the longitudinal direction of this is embedded. The remaining hollow space 94 adjacent to the tube body 93 in the outer tube 91 is inserted into the insertion portion 10 including a curved portion. A plurality of restricting rings 95 that partially restrict the expansion of the outer peripheral side of 92 are attached.

  When the high-pressure gas is supplied to the actuator tube 90 and the expansion space 92 expands to the outer peripheral side, the guide tube 260 has the entire region in the longitudinal direction in the vicinity of the expansion space 92 in the outer tube 91 due to the function of the non-extensible fibers 24. Shortened. As a result, the guide tube 260 is bent, and the internal bending portion is bent accordingly.

  Therefore, also in this embodiment, substantially the same effect as that of the twelfth embodiment can be obtained. Further, in this embodiment, since a plurality of regulating rings 95 are attached at positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the outer periphery of the outer tube 91, the entire region corresponding to the curved portion of the guide tube 260 is curved almost uniformly. Can be made.

In the thirteenth embodiment described here, the actuator tube 90 is integrally formed on the inner portion of the outer tube 91 of the guide tube 260. However, in the fourteenth embodiment shown in FIGS. As described above, the guide tube 360 may be configured such that the actuator tube 390 formed separately is adhered and fixed to the circular inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 391. In FIG. 33, reference numeral 79 denotes an adhesive portion between the actuator tube 390 and the outer tube 391. Also in this case, when the high-pressure gas is supplied into the expansion space 92 of the actuator tube 390, the guide tube 360 is similarly bent by the expansion of the actuator tube 90 outward in the radial direction and the accompanying shortening in the longitudinal direction.
Therefore, in the fourteenth embodiment, the same effect as in the thirteenth embodiment can be obtained, but the outer tube 391 and the actuator tube 390 can be formed in a relatively simple cylindrical shape. Manufacturing at low cost becomes possible.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A various design change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary.

1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram showing an endoscope apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view centering on the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. The perspective view which removes some components and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. Sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 2A-A cross section of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. Sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 2B-B cross section of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. Sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 2C-C cross section of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the action | operation of the bending part of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment, and removes some components from the bending part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view centering on the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which removes some components and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 4th Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the action | operation of the bending part of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment, and removes some components from the bending part. The perspective view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 5th Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 6th Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 7th Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the actuator tube of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. The perspective view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 8th Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the actuator tube of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. The perspective view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 9th Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the actuator tube of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which removes one part and shows the curved part of the endoscope apparatus of 10th Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the action | operation of the bending part of the endoscope apparatus of the embodiment, and removes some components from the bending part. The perspective view which shows the front-end | tip area | region of the insertion part of the endoscope apparatus of 11th Embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view which shows a part of guide tube of the embodiment. The disassembled perspective view which shows a part of guide tube of the embodiment. The disassembled perspective view which shows a part of guide tube of the embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the operation state of the guide tube of the embodiment. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the action | operation of the guide tube of the embodiment. The perspective view which shows the front end area | region of the insertion part of the endoscope apparatus of 12th Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the guide tube of the embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the operating state of the guide tube of the embodiment. The perspective view which shows the front end area | region of the insertion part of the endoscope apparatus of 13th Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the front-end | tip area | region of the insertion part of the endoscope apparatus of 14th Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing corresponding to the EE cross section of FIG. 32 which shows the same embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope apparatus 10 ... Insertion part 15 ... Bending part 20,120,220,420,520,620,720 ... Actuator tube (actuator)
21, 221, 421, 521, 621, 721 ... expansion space 23, 223 ... tube body 24 ... non-extensible fiber 25 ... restraint ring (restraint member)
38 ... Regulation ring (regulation member)
420A, 520A, 620A ... plate-like structure 50 ... sheet 60, 160, 260, 360 ... guide tube 64, 81, 90, 390 ... actuator tube (actuator)
65, 84, 92 ... expansion space

Claims (7)

In an endoscope apparatus in which a bending portion capable of bending operation is provided in a distal end side region of an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target, and the bending portion is operated by an actuator driven by supply and discharge of fluid.
The actuator is
A tube body that is disposed in the curved portion and expands upon receiving a supply of fluid;
An endoscope apparatus comprising: a non-extendable fiber embedded in or attached to the tube body and restricting the longitudinal extension of the tube body. The tube body has one expansion space extending in the longitudinal direction,
In the bending portion, the plurality of tube bodies are arranged in parallel along the circumferential direction,
The inner part of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The restraint member which restrains expansion | swelling of the outer periphery of each tube body and restrains tube bodies is provided in a part of longitudinal direction of these tube bodies. Endoscopic device. The tube body has one expansion space extending in the longitudinal direction,
In the bending portion, the plurality of tube bodies are arranged in parallel along the circumferential direction,
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a restriction member that restricts expansion of an outer periphery of each tube body is provided in a part of the tube body in a longitudinal direction. The tube body is provided with a plurality of expansion spaces extending in the longitudinal direction in parallel, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole,
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a restriction member that restricts expansion in a radial direction of the expansion space is provided in a part of the tube body in a longitudinal direction. The tube body is composed of a plate-like structure having a plurality of expansion spaces extending in the longitudinal direction,
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plate-like structure is formed by being bent into a substantially cylindrical shape.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plate-like structure has a plurality of expansion spaces formed in parallel, in which front and back sheets are joined and extend in the longitudinal direction. In an endoscope apparatus in which a bending portion capable of bending operation is provided in a distal end side region of an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target, and the bending portion is operated by an actuator driven by supply and discharge of fluid.
A guide tube that guides the insertion into the observation target is attached to the outer periphery of the insertion portion,
The actuator is
A tube body that is disposed in a portion of the guide tube that holds the curved portion, and expands upon receiving a supply of fluid;
An endoscope apparatus comprising: a non-extendable fiber embedded in or attached to the tube body and restricting the longitudinal extension of the tube body.

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